Mariners Outlast Detroit Tigers in Historic Extra-Inning Thriller to Advance to AL Championship Series in Over Two Decades
During an intense 15-inning contest, Jorge Polanco drove in the winning run with a single to the outfield, clinching a narrow victory for the Seattle Mariners over the visiting squad in the decisive game of the ALDS.
Decisive Plays in the Marathon Game
The Mariners pitcher, delivering his initial bullpen outing in the big leagues, pitched over an inning to earn the victory, sending his team to the ALCS for the initial occasion since 2001.
Seattle will now compete against the Toronto for the championship in a showdown between franchise counterparts. Game 1 is set for the weekend in Toronto.
Final Inning Game-Winning Sequence
- JP Crawford started the final half of the last inning with a line-drive single to right field.
- Another batter was struck by a throw, putting players on first and second.
- After a teammate made an out, a fielding mistake by the outfielder let the runner to take third.
- Following an strategic base on balls, the batter singled on a full count to conclude the game.
Scoring Highlights and Pitching Performances
Kerry Carpenter accounted for all of the visitors' scoring with a home run in the middle frames.
Seattle evened the score at two runs apiece in the seventh on a pinch hitter's run-scoring hit.
Both teams threatened repeatedly in extra innings, with the home team hitting into twin killings in both the later extra innings.
Opening Hurlers Battle
The Tigers' ace and the Mariners' starter delivered a low-scoring battle in the opening frames.
Skubal, a Cy Young Award favorite, allowed one run on two hits with zero bases on balls and 13 strikeouts over six innings. He established a postseason record with seven consecutive strikeouts.
The only run occurred in the early going, when a two-base hit, theft, and deep out scored a point for the home side.
The Mariners' pitcher opened with five scoreless innings before surrendering a early hit in the sixth. After a bullpen move, Carpenter went deep on a pitch to hand Detroit the advantage.
The starter lasted over five frames and was charged with a single score on a few hits with no walks and several K's.
The win signifies a significant achievement for the Mariners, who advance to compete for a place in the championship after a long playoff drought.
